About RECD

Project 2017-08-28 11:32:05 UTC

RECD means ‘recognise your experience through conversations about depression’. Our aim is to start conversations about individuals’ mental health experiences in order to create a community of consciousness around distress; showcase stories about diverse people’s experiences and local services; and contribute towards the momentum that is building to prioritise mental health education in secondary schools.

Sam and I decided to start RECD, because we believe in fulfilling our dreams and making our ideas a reality. We can not simply sit and wait for change to happen, we want to actively engage in this positive change. We are fun-loving, energetic, motivated, and positive individuals who have both experienced our own personal mental distress. We are surrounded by talented individuals who help us every day to make RECD a reality. Hannah O'Reilly (Marketing, Communications, and Criminology student at the University of Auckland) is our dedicated and passionate videographer and editor. Our incredibly talented friend, Amy Hanlon (3rd year design student at Massey University, Wellington), designed our logo, and is currently working on t-shirt designs for us to make and sell. We also have a lot of access to advice from a number of people who run businesses, and others who work in mental health.

We conduct interviews with a all different kinds of people focusing on breaking down the stigmas surrounding mental health, by having conversations about experiences of mental distress. Once our website is up and running we will also be posting a weekly blog sharing someone's unique experience in an inclusive and safe way. RECD is not only about individual experience, but also creating an understanding and open community. As part of our 'Mental Health Road-trip', we will be visiting and promoting Mental Health Organisations around New Zealand. We would like to interview some of the people who use these services, and the people who provide them, to learn from their experience and discover what has been most beneficial to them if they have experienced mental distress.

All of the information and interviews will be compiled into a documentary showing “The Mental Health Story of New Zealand”. The documentary coupled with prototypes of a wide variety of group activities; peer mentoring systems; healthy coping mechanisms; and easy access to support networks will contribute towards the advocacy for and development of a mental health curriculum in secondary schools. We plan on using the Mind and Body, Like Minds Like Mine resource: “Conversations for Change”, with groups of young people and want to have this resource implemented in schools, youth organisations, community groups etc.

The money raised from PledgeMe will go directly towards the start-up costs of selling t-shirts and the fuel costs of our Mental Health Road-trip. Approximately $500 is needed to start selling t-shirts, and fuel for the Road-trip will cost approximately $1500 minimum. We think that creating a positive and fun fashion statement will have a big influence on the number of conversations we can start surrounding RECD.

We know that what we are doing is something many people believe in and want to get behind, because mental health is something that affects all of us. A successful PledgeMe for us is vital to ensuring that we can reach as many people as possible with the RECD project. The butterfly effect will mean that the more people we reach, the more conversations are had surrounding mental health and distress, and the more people educate, support, and empathise with each other.

RECD is a platform for widespread positive change in how we approach our mental health, and view mental distress in society. If your mental health is important to you, start recognising your experiences through conversations about depression with us!

Comments

The People Behind RECD

I grew up in Ireland in the little village of Quin, Co. Clare. At eighteen years old I moved to New Zealand, to discover the other half of my heritage, which I felt had been somewhat missing. Initially I had no intentions of staying in New Zealand for any longer than six months. Now I have been here for two years.

I have always been a very passionate, ambitious, and hard-working person. I can not keep an idea, as just an idea. In Ireland my passions lay mostly with horse riding. Since moving to New Zealand my passion has been transferred to people. I try to meet new people as much as I can: on the bus; in the shop where I work; at university; on the beach etc. I feel very strongly about many different social stigmas, mental health being one that I am particularly invested in, through the RECD project.

Being an extremely open and non-judgemental person means that I share as much of myself as I want with the people I meet. I have seen first hand how making myself vulnerable, by opening up, allows others to be honest with me about how they are feeling. This is what drives me to do the work that I do with RECD, because I feel incredible after having conversations with others that validate their emotions.

Updates

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Pledges

Nick

2017-09-24 02:02:23 UTC

Nick has pledged on 2 campaigns

“Hey guys! Really like what you're doing and would be good to see this project go far - Nick (that guy that gave you a lift the other day)”